1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to inflatable tubes formed of flexible material such as plastic, polymer coated fabric material, vinyl and other materials which are air tight, and more particularly to a flotation device formed of such a tubular member having multiple folds spaced apart along the length of the flotation device to facilitate ease of bending compliance to supported body contours.
2. Prior Art
One flotation device that has become quite popular in swimming pools and other swimming areas is a xe2x80x9cpool noodlexe2x80x9d which is an elongated member formed of flexible Styrofoam and other closed cell foam material. These pool noodles are typically five to six feet in length having a diameter of approximately three to six inches and are quite enjoyable for swimming pool play and simply floating relaxation in water. However, although they are bendable from a relaxed straight configuration with some stiffness with respect to the foam construction material itself, these swimming pool play and flotation devices require some continuing effort to maintain them in a curved, behind the neck or under the torso in-use position which may be uncomfortable and may become tiring to the arms.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,225, Bimpson teaches an inflatable tube such as a buoyancy tube for inflatable life rafts, particularly focusing on a method of imparting a permanent sealed bend into the tubular structure which is leak proof and economical to form without additional cutting or adding of material to effect a permanent bend in the tube.
Rupert, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,512, has disclosed a flotation device formed of smaller and larger concentrically attached buoyancy tubes. While adding buoyancy, this arrangement lends itself well to fitting the device over the head of the user around the neck area and yet accommodating the broader width of the user""s shoulders.
A compressible and expandable flotation device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,752 invented by Holton, which is compressible and expandable in accordion fashion, includes internal structure, which allows the device to be self-inflating when the ends are moved apart and brought back together in repeated fashion. The water safety device invented by Stevens shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,739 is formed of an elongated closed tubular member having a longitudinal handle strap along a length thereof for a victim to grasp while being pulled to shore by another person on shore or in a boat.
My previous invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,349, overcame the stiffness or resistance to bending of the pool noodles by providing a plurality of folds formed transversely across the inflatable tubular member with the spaced apart folds oriented rotationally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the device in multiple directions so that the tubular member may be freely bent or wrapped around the body in complex arcuate fashion to better accommodate and support the various portions of the body beneath which the device is positioned. However, the folds in my earlier ""349 patent were so easily bendable that a uniform contouring of the device was not achievable, the folds in that device acting almost as a free-bending hinge.
This invention is directed to an elongated inflatable tubular device which is somewhat freely bendable, when inflated, in multiple directions about the longitudinal axis of the device. The device includes an elongated tubular member sealed at each end thereof to form a sealed inflatable air chamber. Spaced apart somewhat bendable folds are each formed generally transversely across said tubular member by attachment only the central areas of opposite portions or areas of the side wall of the tubular member. Air within said tubular member is thus free to flow past each fold to balance air pressure within the tubular member during inflation, deflation and bending thereof. The central attached portions are sized in length and width with respect to the width of the tubular member such that the outer unattached portions of each fold are also inflated to somewhat resiliently resist bending and somewhat stiffen the device while still allowing useful flexing of the device. The folds are preferably rotationally oriented differently one to another, when viewed along a longitudinal axis of the tubular member, thereby allowing the flotation device to be freely bendable in multiple directions about the longitudinal axis. In the preferred embodiment, the ends of the device are cooperatively shaped, each having a central aperture formed therethrough sized to pliably receive the other end of the device for releasable retention therebetween to reshape the device into a flexible ring.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an elongated tubular flotation device or inflatable tube having multiple spaced apart improved folds formed across the length of the device and angularly oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member in different directions to facilitate somewhat free bending movement about each of the folds to better accommodate the complex curvature of the supported body and torso.
It is another object of this invention to provide an inflatable flotation device which has substantially more compliance and comfort to body configuration and support thereof when swimming as compared to conventional, stiffer pool noodles.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an elongated air-filled tubular flotation device having multiple permanent spaced folds formed across the tubular member which allow for free passage of air within the device for ease of filling and deflation and pressure balancing between adjacent air chambers defined by adjacent folds, the outer unattached portions of each fold also expanding under inflation pressure to somewhat resiliently stiffen each fold.